mother hen

I am feeling like it was a bit too soon for me to have my first Mother Hen experience this week. One of the chicks was away and it drove me absolutely crazy. I'm so grateful for the "gathering" that happened today. I like everyone under my wings where they belong.

Emma has wanted to go on a plane trip by herself since she turned 8 and knew she was now "allowed" to. I always put it off because, well, I don't want her gone. And it's really expensive. But it's selfish reasons mostly. Her grandma invited her and it was quite last minute, which must have been a good thing for Emma because I didn't have a lot of time to talk myself out of buying her a ticket.  And I didn't have a lot of time to back out. The next thing I knew she was with her dad at the airport, and the next thing I knew after that, she was calling me on Facetime to tell me what fun she was having.

I am thrilled she got to have a trip all her own, that she got to get away from her little brothers and get some girl time with her grandma (they are so similar!). But me having to deal with bored, whiny little boys who just wanted their big sister home got a little old. Tanner asked anyone who would listen to him "where Emma go." He called her all the time asking if she could come back.

I was so glad she made it home with relatively little damage (on our end).

I guess this was good practice for science camp in 3 years and girls camp in 4 (!!!what?!!), but I may think twice before all those things actually come up...

I am so lucky to have a neighbor who always has her camera when it matters most.

Here they see our car...

Tyler chased our car around the corner...

And...reunited at last! These were some happy little boys, let me tell you.